Means for operating railway-crossing gates



y 21, 1929. c. E. MILLER 1,714,393

MEANS FOR OPERATING RAILWAY CROSSING GATES Filed Aug. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 21, 1929. c. E. MILLER 9 MEANS FOR OPERATING RAILWAY CROSSING GATES Filed Aug. 8, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same;

Fig. 3

lit

Patented May 21,, 1 929.

* UNITED STATES CHARLES E. MILLER, or

1,714,393 PATENT OFFICE.

LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF 'TO CHARLES GREEN, OF LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI.

MEANS non OPERATING RAILWAY-CROSSING GATES.

Application filed August a, 1927. Serial 1%. 211,397.

This invention relates to means for automatlcally operating railway crossing gates. The invention comprises means whereby when a train isapproaching: a crossing,

protected by a gate, the car wheels will engage gate-closing mechanism at a distance from the crossing, and this mechanism will operate to close the gate.

means, continues over the road crossing, the wheels will operate gate releasing devices and the gate will automatically open. At certain crossings, as where switchingoccurs, a train may approach a crossing and cause the gate to close and then back before reaching the crossing. Theinvention comprises means whereby if a train, after causing the .closure of the gate, moves backward before reaching the crossing, the gate will be automatically opened by the reversed movement of the train.

In the accompanying drawing,

. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the gate-operating mechanism arranged adjacent a railway track, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the operating mechanism on a larger scale than in Fig.1,

ing the track, a indicates a gate pivotally mounted atoneside of the roadway and 7 adapted to swing downwardly across the same, and d indicates a latch arranged at the opposite side of the roadway and adapt ed to hold the gate when the latter is brought to the horizontal position across the roadway. v As shown, the gate comprises, a long arm 1, pivotally mounted near one end upon a pedestal 2 and having a bar 3 projecting at an angle to the arm below itspivotal point,

said bar carrying a weight 4 which holds the arm normally in upright position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Thelatch, as shown the train, after passing the gate-closing in Fig. 6, comprises an upright bar 5, secured in a fixed position at one side of the track, and a bar 6 pivotally connected at 7 to the lower end of the bar 5, the bar 6 having an arm 6 which'ezitends close to the-track and has a part 6 projecting above the track rail 7" and adapted to be engaged bythe flanges of the car wheels passing along the rail.

The upper ends 5 and 6 of the bars are turned outwardly in opposite directions to form guides "for the free end of the gate,

and the bar 6 is curved as shown at 6 to engage and -hold thegate, the free end of which 15 indicated in dotted lines'in Fig. 6.

A spring 6 presses upwardly against the arm 6 and normally holds the latch closed. A bell crank lever 9, pivoted in a support 10,has a forked arn19 which straddles the arm 6 of the latch, and'the other arm 9 of the bell crank leverprojects downwardly latch and at the other side of the road cross ing.

The latch tripping device 6, as shown-in Figs. 1, 3 and'5, comprises a short shaft 12, which is arranged at right angles to the rail r'in bearings 13 and 14 on a base-piece 15. A lug 16 projectsupwardlyv from the end of the shaft next the rail and a cam 17 projects laterally from this lug, this cam curving or inclining away from the side of the rail and in'the direction away frointhe road cross- 7 ing and gate. A spring 18 presses the shaft endwise toward the 'railand a spring 19 tendsto turn the shaftand hold it in the position shown with the lug .16 projecting upwardly and a stop 20 on the shaft resting against the base 15.

WVith the construction described, the side of a car wheel 8, Fig. 1, moving in the direction of the arrow,-toward the road crossing, will engage the cam 17 of the tripping device and press the shaft 12 away from the rail without turning the shaft, andfthe tread of the wheel will pass the lug 1'6, but after the wheel has passed the tripping device,

if its direct-ionof motion should'be reversed,

the tread of the wheel will engage the lug 16 and press'it to the left, thus'rocking the shaft '12 against the tension'of the spring 19.. As the cable 11 is secured to the shaft,

this rotary movement of the shaft will; cause the cable to be pulled to the left andthe bell from its pivotal point and is connected by a cable 11' to alatch controlling device 6, 'spaced'a relatively long distance from the crank lever 9 will be rocked, causing the arm 6 of the latch to rock into position to release the gate.

It will be evident from the foregoing, that a car wheel traveling in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, will not trip the gate latch in passing the tripping device 6, but will trip the latch after said wheel has passed over the crossing and depressed the arm 6 of the latch. It i will also be evident that if the car wheel, after having passed the tripping device 0 and before reaching the crossing and latch arm 6*, is stopped and backed past the tripping device a, it will operate the lat-' ter to trip the latch.

In conjunction with the latch releasing mechanism just described, I provide means, indicated at f, for automatically closing the gate when a train is approaching the road crossing. This mechanism comprises a plurality of ratchet levers 21, centrally pivoted upon a bar 22, these levers being arranged at right angles to the track and each having at its outer end a spring pawl 23 and at its inner end, adjacent the track, an upward projection 21 which extends slightly above the rail r and is adapted to be engaged and depressed, by the treads of the car wheels. These levers are spaced suitable distances apart and independently pivotedupon the ,bar 22, and aspring 24 is arranged under each lever to raise the end of the lever next the rail and depress the opposite end carrying the pawl. The pawls engage corresponding ratchet wheels 25, which are keyed to a shaft 26, upon which is also secured a clutch member 27. A winding drum 28, journaled upon the shaft 26, is normally held in engagement with the clutch member by a spring 29, which is coiled about the shaft. A grooved collar 30, surrounding the shaft and secured to the drum, is engaged by a clutch lever 31, which is centrally pivoted upon a suitable supporting member 32. A pivoted arm 33 extends over the free end of the clutch lever and is yieldingly held against the lever by a spring 34. This arm has a bend-33, nearits free end, which holds the lever in or out of the clutching position, according to whether or not the end of the lever is at one side or the other of this bend. Normally the clutch lever is held in the clutching position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that when a car wheel passes over the inner ends of the ratchet levers 21, these levers, through the pawls and ratchet wheels, will operate successively to turn the shaft 26 and the winding drum. A bell crank lever g is pivot-ally mounted adjacent the clutch lever, and a cable 35, attached to the drum, is secured to one arm 36 of this bell crank lever, this cable extending over a curved guide 37, attached to said arm. The other arm 38 of the bell crank lever isconnected by a cable 39, which extends through a pipe 40, to a short crank arm l1, attached to the gate 1 at its pivotal point, The bell crank g carries on the arm 36 a tappet 42, adapted to engage one side of the clutch lever and move it into the clutching position, and on the arm 38 a tappet 43, adapted to engage the clutch lever and move it to clutch-disengaging position.

Theoperation'of the mechanism is as follows: Assuming that a train is moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, toward the road crossing Z), and that the gate is open, as the wheels pass over the tripping device e, they will engage the cam 17 and move the shaft 12 endwise without turning it aboutits axis, therefore, no pull will be exerted on the cable 11. As the train progresses, its wheels will rock the several lev ers 21, thereby rotating the winding drum, the cable on which will rock the bell crank lever g to the left until the tappet 43 on said lever strikes the clutch lever and moves the latter into position to disengage the drum from the clutch member 27. At this time,

the free end of the clutch lever will have passed to the left'of the bend 33 on the spring pressed arm 33', and the lever will thereby be held out of clutch-engaging position. When the bell crank lever is thus rocked, it causes the cable 39 to pull the gate to its horizontal position, across the roadway, and the latch member at then holds the gate closed. As the train passes on over the road crossing, its wheels depress the arm .6 of the latch member, thereby rocking said member to release the gate, which is automatically returned to its open position by the weight 4. In moving to its open position, the arm 41 on the gate pulls upon the cable 39 and this causes the bell crank lever g to rock to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and to unwind the cable from the drum. Near the end of the movement of the bell crank, the stop et2thereon strikes the clutch lever and moves it into the clutchengaging position, permitting the spring 29 to move the winding drum into engagement with the clutch member 27, so that the apparatus is then set for the next train.

After a train has passed over the gateclosing mechanism 7 and caused the gate to close, it may often be necessary, as in switching operations, to stop and back the train before it reaches the road-crossing, in which case it is desirable to provide means for automatically opening the gate. This is accom plished in the present invention, by the engagement of the wheels with the lugs 16 on the tripping deviceve, which causes the shaft- 12 to rock in the direction topull the cable 11, which rocks the bell crank 9, and the latter rocks the latch arm 6 to release the gate, which is immediately returned to its upright or open position by the weight 4t.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a railway track, of a road-cross1ng gate, means for moving the gate to open osition, means for closing a be rocked in succession by a car wheel on the track, a winding drum normally engaging said clutch member, a clutch lever for releasing the drum from the clutch member, a pivoted tappet member for moving said lever to release and engage the drum with the clutch member, a. cable connecting the drum with the tappet member and a cable connecting the latter with the gate, a latch for holding the gate closed, and means operated by a car wheel to release the latch.

2. The combination with a railway track, of a road-crossing gate, means for moving the gate to open position, means for closing the gate comprising a shaft having a plurality of ratchet Wheels and a clutch member operable thereby, a plurality of ratchet levers engaging said wheels and adapted to be rocked in succession bya car wheel on the track, a winding drum normally engagmg said clutch member, a clutch lever for releasing the drum from the clutch memher, a cable connectedto the drum and connections between said cable and the gate for moving the latter, said connections including a member adapted to release and engage the drum with the clutch member, a latch for holding the gate closed, and means operated by a car-wheel to release the latch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHAS. E. MILLER. 

